Local News

MIDSAYAP, North Cotabato – A
loud explosion believed to be from improvised explosive device (IED) rockedan
outskirt village here Tuesday night, authorities said.

Nobody was hurt when the
blast occurred at past 10:30 p.m. in Purok Mirasol, Barangay Polomoguen,
Midsayap, North Cotabato, according to Army Capt. Melvin Macatangay.

Macatangay, spokesperson of
the 602nd Infantry Brigade, said nobody was reported injured since the
blast site was isolated and often frequented by outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic
Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

COTABATO CITY - A candidate for town councilor in Maguindanao under the ruling Liberal Party was shot dead by still unidentified gunman Wednesday evening nearthe city plaza.
Police identified the victim as Macawali Saranga, 38, a resident of Oring, Buldon, Maguindanao.Investigation showed that Saranga was standing at the corner of Don Rufino Avenue and Dorotheo Street, just beside the Cotabato Puericulture Center and General Hospital when shot at 7:20 p.m.

MIDSAYAP, North Cotabato - If not for the vehicular accident that injured a resident of Barangay Poblacion here Wednesday morning, he would have get away with his illegal activity.After he figured in a vehicular accident at past midnight today, Marvin Flauta was arrested for possession of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride, more known as shabu. Police investigation showed Flauta was driving his motorbike at about 12:30 a.m.

ISULAN, Sultan Kudarat – A new police provincial director has
been named for Sultan Kudarat replacing Senior Supt. Danny Reyes.
Senior Supt. Emmanuel B. Peralta, former Saranggani police director,
was named Tuesday as new Sultan Kudarat police provincial director as the Police
Regional Office 12 stepped up its preparation for this year’s national and
local balloting.In a radio interview,Supt. Romeo Galgo, PRO-12 regional spokesperson, saidReyes was moved to PRO-12 regional office.

DAVAO CITY - Four passenger Toyota D4D vans from Cotabato City and Mlang in North Cotabato were impounded in Davao City as the Land Taansportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and Land Transportation Office (LTO)intensified anti-colorum campaign in Region 11.In a report on its website, the LTFRB said the four vans (PUVs) plying the Davao-Cotabato and Davao-Mlang, North Cotabato routes were seized after its drivers committed several violations, including non-wearing of seat belts of drivers.LTFRB and LTO personnel flagged down the four PUVs on Tuesday morning in Toril district.

COTABATO CITY -- Eight persons have been arrested by police and military authorities in Maguindanao for violating election gun ban and illegal possession of firearms law, police said on Tuesday.Senior Supt.

KORONADAL
CITY --Registered nurse Rea Rizza H. Penolvo who works in Saudi Arabia and
on vacation here, had the biggest surprise of her life – a marriage proposal
from her fiancée in a public place and in front of more than a thousand spectators.

COTABATO CITY -- Officials on Monday assured to help the Commission on Elections impose its ban on carrying of firearms in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to ensure a peaceful electoral exercise in the area in May 2016.ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman, presiding chairman of the region’s inter-agency peace and order council, said the provincial police directors in all five provinces under his jurisdiction had been ordered to strictly impose Comelec’s firearm ban.

TACURONG CITY -– An alertfruit vendor prevented what could have been another bloody Monday morning here, police said. Senior Supt. Junny Buenacosa, Tacurong City police director, said the improvised bomb was made of one kilo cut nails as shrapnel, blasting caps, old Nokia mobile phoneand explosive powder placed in a cartoon and left near the city’s welcome rotunda and in front of a department store. Buenacosa said fruit vendor Josephine Casana, 33, was surprise to see something in a paper box in her fruit stall.

View the January 9, 2016 digital edition of The Mindanao Cross, the Little Paper with a Big Cause at and//www.ndbcnews.com.ph www.ndbcnews.com.ph